(888) 719-3373

Everything You Need To Know About Area Rug Knots

Oriental rugs are essentially made with knotted pile, which is a special type of textile formed with the help of upright loops of yarn. Most handmade area rugs are woven by tying knots on the warp strands. Different knots have different knot collars. Curious to learn more about rug knots, the different types of rug knots that you can currently find on the market, and rug knot density? Keep reading!

If you are currently looking for an emergency professional area rug cleaning service in the Manhattan area, give us a call. We specialize in the entire range of oriental rug cleaning and restoration services and we would be more than happy to assist you with top services at affordable rates.

Rug Knots

First of all, you should know that the so-called knots that made up pile rugs are not real knots, rather loops that are wrapped around adjacent pairs of warps. These warps could be wrapped in a number of different ways and they are comprised of knot collars. The collars are the sections that will wrap around the respective warps. The warps are also comprised by the ends, that are actually the pile.

Different Types of Rug Knots

Briefly put, there are two common types of knots in Brooklyn/Manhattan, mostly used to make Oriental rugs: Persian knots, that are also called Senneh, and Turkish knots, that are known as Ghiordes. Both of these types of knots are tied around pairs of warped strings. Let’s learn more about them.

Asymmetrical, Persian, or Senneh Rug Knots

Persian or Senneh rug knots are knots with single ends found between every pair of warps, with a single knot collar wrapped around every other warp. The fabric is opened on one side. It does not matter if it right or left. This knot is the most widely used rug knot in the carpet weaving industry.

Symmetrical, Turkish, or Ghiordes Rug Knots

These rug knots feature both of the ends of their yarn coming up simultaneously between two different warps, while their knot collars are wrapped around a pair of warps. Both sides open up in the center. These knots are mostly used in the making of Oriental rugs made in Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran.

Jufti Rug Knots

These rug knots can be either asymmetrical or symmetrical, and they can use a mix of these configurations around several pairs of warps instead of single warps. This means the resulting pile will automatically be manufactured a lot faster, while it will also be less dense compared to other types of pile. Jufti rug knots are also known as false knots and can be done in either a Persian or Turkish style. These make for an inferior quality of rugs, because they use half the material and take half the time to make. Unfortunately, they also only last half as long. Some Oriental rug types, like the Bokharas, will disperse jufti knots with more traditional Persian knots.

Spanish Rug Knots

These knots are normally wrapped in a symmetrical manner around every other individual warp inside a knot. They are considered the sole rightful owner of the “rug knot” name, as they actually respect the complete definition of a knot.

What Does Knots Per Square Inch (KPSI) Mean?

This is a term that is used to define the density of a rug’s knots or the fineness of the pile and it is measured as follows: the vertical not count of the rug is counted and multiplied by the knot count on the horizontal in a certain, predefined area of the rug. This area could range from a few square inches to a few square decimeters.

A KPSI of 70-80 knots per sq. inch. give or take is usually considered a harsh texture for a rug. Once the KPSI goes closer to 100 or over, the knot count is considered “medium”, whereas a rug with a knot count of around 200 knots/inch are considered rugs with a fine weave.

A finely woven Oriental rug will usually count 300-400 knots/inch. However, this type of KPSI count will normally be regarded as unusually or strangely “fine” and less common.

The knot count is also influenced by a series of additional factors, including the size of the warps or the size of the knots, the yarn’s horizontal spacing or thickness and others. The KPSI can also be used to show just how tightly the knot rows and the wefts are on the vertical.

As opposed to the majority of rugs, the quality of Oriental area rugs does not only depend on the thread-count, but it also depends on the density of the knots. Knot density refers to the amount of knots that are used per square inch. In other words, the quality of an Oriental rug is directly proportional to the rug’s knot quantity.

Different countries from the East will use different forms of measurement for knot density, but they all refer to and measure the same thing. Oriental rugs are graded on the amount of knots that are used in their manufacturing. Many cultures use a two number system, except for China which uses one number to state how many knots are in each line of thread.

While knot density is not usually a significant factor when it comes to nomadic rugs, it is critical for rugs made in specialized area rug workshops.

How To Find Out What Kind Of Knots You Have In Your Your Oriental Rug

This process has a few essential steps, as follows:

  • the rug is turned over and its thousands of small loops square in shape will be assessed and observed
  • the way the knots are wrapped around the threads will determine the knot type, as discussed earlier
  • nomadic rugs usually feature a knot density of 25-100 knots/square inch and this measurement will help separate these rigs from shop-made rugs
  • the age of the rug and the country of origin will also determine the density of the knot

If you are looking for more information on knots in Oriental rugs, call (888) 719-3373